Switch-containing plug-connector.



e. H. HART. SWITCH CONTAINING PLUG CONNECTOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, I916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented. May 21, 1918.

G. H. HART. SWITCH CONTAINING PLUG CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FI LED JUNE 20,1916.

Patented May 21, 1918.

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necting electric fiat'irons and other heating eonor.

enoncnn. nnnr, or west finnrronn, connncrrour.

SWITGH-CONTAINING- JPLTlG-CONNEGTQR.

Specification of Letters IlPatent.

"Patented May 21, rare.

Application filed June 20, 1916. Serial No. 104,719.

appliances in'circuit. It has for its object to provide a connecting plug within which is a switch for controlling the current supplied to the heating appliance. It also has for its object to provide means for relieving the projecting terminals of a heating appliance from strain when the plug is in position. lit also has for its. object to provide.

improvements in the switch mechanism used within the plug as referred to in the claims.

The following is avdescription of an embodiment'of my invention, reference being had tothe. accompanying drawings, in

k which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevationof an electric flat iron including the connecting plug.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of a part of the handle on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the connecting plug;

F i 4 isfa, lower end view of the plug ,showlng the'terminal sockets.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a combined separator and dowel forming part of the plug.

Fig. 6 is a section of the base of the plug on the line 66 Fig. 1, the mechanism being shown in full.

Fig. 7 shows. one of the two separable halves of the plug withthe switch mechanism removed.

. Fig. 8 shows the other separable half of the p 11g.

Fig. 9 is a detail of the switch arm operating mechanism and support therefor; and,

Fig. 10 is an end viewof the parts of Fig. 9 looking toward the right hand end thereof with arts broken away. 1

Re erring more particularly to the drawings, 1 is the base of an electric iron having a handle grip 2 connected to the base by flat metal uprights 3. The base is provided with the ordinary heating coils (not shown), and also in the well known manner with two projectingterminals 4, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The plug is elongated, as

shown in Fig. 3, and consists of two base members- 5-5, being separable on a plane which passes through the line 6, into two similar halves. The plug is of such shape, as shown in Fig.4, that a section thereof at right angles to its longer axis is itself elongated in shape and the plane just referred to coincides with the shorter axis of this elongated section. These two halves are made of insulating material and are held together by a clamp 7 which surrounds both halves and is tightened by a screw 8. The plug is provided with a headed stud 9, which, in the construction shown, is carried by a projection 9', depending from the body of the clamp 7. This stud 9, when the plug is being inserted in place, is first passed through the upper portion of the key hole slot 10 in the rear upright 3 and then slipped down into the lower portion thereof, with the result that it partially supports the plug and relieves the terminals 4 from the strain which would otherwise be due to a sudden blow or pressure on the plug.

Mounted on the member 5 is a terminal plate 11, which is secured in place by a bushing and from which depend spring clips 12 forming one of the contacts of the switch. 13 is a binding screw for securing one of the circuit terminals. 1 1 is another plate secured in a similar manner, from which project upwardly spring members carrying clips 15 in line with the clips 12 andconstituting the other contact of the switch. Electrically connected to the platelet and projecting downwardly is a spring socket 16 for engaging one of the plugs 4. The other member 5 is provided .with 'two plates 1114=' secured thereto, which lates are permanently connected electrica ly by a conductor 17. The plate 11' is provided with a binding screw 13 for one of the ends of the circuit. The plate 14 has connected to it a depending socket 16' for receiving the other of the plugs 4. Be-

tween the two halves 5'5 a coil springconnect the terminals 12 and 15 so as to.

control the circuit through the iron, I provide switch mechanism incased within theconnecting' plug, consisting of. a U-shaped frame having two upright members 2122, the member 22 having a lateral extension which is secured to the member 21. and provided with a slot 23. These two members 2122 are provided with openings, through which pass the ends ofan actuating member 24 containing springs 25 and anti-friction balls 26. This actuating member 24 is longitudinally slotted and within its slot is located the lower end of a switch arm 27 pivoted to the actuating member at 28. The lower end of this switch arm has a projection 29 which, as the actuator is moved, moves in and is guided by the slot 23 in the lower portion, the same acting to aline and steady the moving parts. The lower end of the switch arm is also provided with cams. 30 30 which co-act with the anti-friction balls in the operation of the switch. The upper end of the switch arm is pro vided with two contact engaging members 31, which are insulated from the switch arm 27 but are electrically connected together. The upper end of the switch arm- 27 is also provided with forward and lateral extensions 32-32 which alternately engage the upright portions 2122 to assist in the throw of the switch arm, as will be hereinafter described. The switch mechanism is supported entirely upon the member 5, the base 5 being recessed at 32 soas to receive portions of the member 21 and hold the same in alinement. A screw 34 passes through the. hole 35 and securely fastens the; actuating mechanism to the member 5 in its alined position. mechanism has been secured to the member 5, theamember 5"" is placed in position and the two are clamped together by the clamp whereupon the plug is ready for use. [e clamp 7 can be adjusted so as to be positioned at any desiredpoint.

e swltch arm actuatmg mechanism is similar in some respects to that described in my Patent No. 1,139,278 granted May 11, 1915.. It is, however, carried by the U- shaped frame 2122 which is removably secured to the base carrying the switch contacts, slot 23 therein engaging the projection 29 so that these parts are self contained. The opening in themember 21 through which actuating member 24 passes, one side so that the actuating member 24 when complete with its balls and springs After the switch and the switch arm is guided by the.

is cut away on canbe easily inserted. The projections 32'32 engage the upper ends-of the parts 21 and 22 and hold the blades 31 out'of contact therewith. The projection 32 is so short as not to withdraw the blades 31 from the contacts before the quick opening action takes place. The projection 32 is longer and so shaped as to cause the upper end of the arm to move to the left (Fig. 9) when the actuator is moving toward the right. This shortens the necessary throw of the actuator. I

The stud 9 holds the plug so close to the engaged upright of the handle that the sockets 16 are slightly distorted in a forward direction when pushed over the plugs 4 4. This results in causing the head of the stud 9 to grip the handle producing such friction at that point" as to assist in holding the handle in place.

In operation when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6, pressure upon the left end button moves the actuating member and forces the enlarged portion at the upper end of the switch arm against the member 22 until the high points of the cams 31-31 pass the. anti-friction balls 26, whereupon those balls, together with their actuating springs, co-act to force the switch engaging portions 30 into engagement with the terminals 12 and 15. When the switch is actuated by pressure on the other end of the actuating member, the reverse movement takes place. s v v,

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits of various modifications Without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A connection plug comprising two separable elongated members of insulating material constituting an elongated plug body whose cross-section, transverse to its longest axis, is elongated, two binding posts and holding the two mem-,

socket and means for electrically connecting the same together, all carried by one of said two parts, a binding post, socket and means adapted to include a snap-acting switch for.

making and breaking an electrical connection-between said last named binding post and its socket, all carried by the other of said two parts, and means for holding sald 31 $286,801 tit two parts together in fixed relation to one adapted to include a snap-acting switch for another. making and breaking an electrlcal connec- 3. A connection plug comprising an elontion between said last named binding post gated base Whose cross-section, transverse and its socket, all carriedby the other part, 15

5. to its longest axis, is elongated, said base beand an adjustable clamp surroundin the ing separable into two parts along a plane longest axis of said base, said clamp ha ding passing through the shorter axis of said said parts in fixed relation to one another, elongated cross-section, a binding post and a and support engaging means carried by said socket and means for electrically connecting clamp.

10 the same together, all carried by one of said two parts, a binding post, socket and means GEURGJE H. HART. 

